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Boston Red Sox: Ranking the top 10 players from the 1970s

By Drew Athans

NEW YORK - CIRCA 1978: Butch Hobson #4 of the Boston Red Sox in action against the New York Yankees during an Major League Baseball game circa 1978 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. Hobson played for the Red Sox from 1975-80. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
NEW YORK - CIRCA 1978: Butch Hobson #4 of the Boston Red Sox in action against the New York Yankees during an Major League Baseball game circa 1978 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. Hobson played for the Red Sox from 1975-80. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK – CIRCA 1977: Rick Burleson #7 of the Boston Red Sox bats against the New York Yankees during an Major League Baseball game circa 1977 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. Burleson played for the Red Sox from 1974-80. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
NEW YORK – CIRCA 1977: Rick Burleson #7 of the Boston Red Sox bats against the New York Yankees during an Major League Baseball game circa 1977 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. Burleson played for the Red Sox from 1974-80. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

Rick Burleson

The man nicknamed “Rooster” was so intense that teammate Bill Lee once said “some guys hate to lose, but Rick got angry when the score was even tied.”  Rick Burleson came up from the minors in 1974 and was the Red Sox shortstop until after the 1980 season when he was traded to the California Angels.

During those seven seasons, he evolved from a shaky defensive shortstop into one of the best in the American League, even winning a Gold Glove in 1979. He was an All-Star in 1977, 1978, and 1979 and was durable, too, playing in 145 games or more from 1975 to 1980.

At the plate, he put up a .275 average with 38 home runs, 360 RBI. Between 1975 and 1980 he had 145 hits or more in every season and topped 600 or more at bats from 1977 to 1980 (with 580 and 540 in 1975 and 1976, respectively) while striking out very little.

After being traded in 1981, he had one more moment at Fenway Park when he played against his former team as a member of the California Angels in the 1986 ALCS.

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